What’s Up?
Anita North and I drove over to Lakeland early on Wednesday morning to photograph the American White Pelicans. They were there in force, but we quickly spotted a Great Blue Heron nest atop a Cyprus tree and concentrated on the activity there as the male was very active. He brought a stick to the nest about every five minutes for more than an hour before slowing down a bit. It was great fun and Anita really enjoyed watching the pair build their nest as that was a first for her. Be sure not to miss all the lessons in tomorrow’s blog post that will feature two images from this wonderful morning of photography along with Topaz DeNoise and Sharpen AI tips and a neat animated GIF.
Yesterday, I received my loaner Canon R5 and a Canon RF 100-500 lens from B&H. I will be playing with it extensively between now and X-mas (when I have to return it) …
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Wild Turkey tom, Indian Lake Estates, FL |
Have a Great Thanksgiving!
Today is Thursday 26 November 2020. We will be heading down to the lake early to photograph some of the many vultures down by the lakefront. Anita is preparing a huge traditional feast. Jim will of course be joining us as will daughter Jennifer and her husband Erik. We will enjoy our meal on the pool deck while socially distancing. Personally, I have a ton to be thankful for and make sure to count my blessings every day. Whatever you do today, I hope that you enjoy it to the max.
I firmly believe that happiness is a choice, and though COVID has forced me to change many plans, I am still having fun every day and opting to choose happiness over despair. If you would like to join me, check out The Work of Byron Katie. with love, artie
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The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site GuideYou can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store. |
The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
126 pages, 87 photographs by Joe Przybyla and Arthur Morris.
The PDF for this e-Guide is an electronic download sent via e-mail.
Purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.
I had thought about doing a guide to some of the great but little-known photo hotspots around central Florida for about a decade, but those plans never came to fruition. I met Joe online in the Avian Forum at BirdPhotographer’s.Net about two years ago. Joe’s photography has improved tremendously over the past few years; he credits the BAA blog, my books and PDFs, and his participation on BPN. The one thing that I learned right from the get-go about Joe is that he is a hard and tenacious worker, always striving to improve his skills and to grow his knowledge base. As he knew of more than a few good spots in central Florida, I broached the idea of us doing a photographic site guide that covered many of the little-known photographic hotspots from Brandon to Lakeland to Joe Overstreet Road to Indian Lake Estates (my Florida home for the past 20 years or so). After more than many, many dozens of hours of effort, The BIRDS AS ART Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide is now a reality. Thanks to Joe’s wife Dottie for her review of our writing. We all learned once again that writing is a process, a back and forth process. All thanks to the white pelicans of Lakeland. Here are the locations that are detailed in this e-Guide:
- Indian Lake Estates: Sandhills Cranes with chicks and colts, lots of vultures, and Ospreys up the kazoo!
- Gatorland, Kissimmee: Learn to make great images of wading birds in a cluttered rookery.
- The Brandon Rookery: Great for nesting Wood Storks, Great Egrets, and more.
- Circle Bar B Reserve, Lakeland: Here you will find a great variety of avian subjects in a great variety of habitats.
- Lake Morton, Lakeland: There are lots of silly tame birds here including and especially American White Pelican during the colder months.
- Lake Mirror, Lakeland: Tame Anhingas, Limpkins, and a zillion White Ibises at times.
- West Lake Parker, Lakeland: Here you will have a chance for two difficult birds, Snail Kite, and Purple Gallinule.
- Joe Overstreet Road, Kenansville: Crested Caracara, meadowlarks, Loggerhead Shrike, and much more on the fenceposts and barbed wire.
Each location includes a map, a detailed description of the best spots, best season, light and time of day instructions, the expected species, and an educational and inspirational gallery that is designed to open your eyes as to the possibilities.
You can purchase a copy here in the BAA Online Store.
Happy Thanksgiving to you, your family and Anita. Have a safe day. FYI, I spent the morning at ANWR with the bobcats, ducks and hawks.
Best wishes!
Happy Thanksgiving, Artie, and thanks for all you do. Dr. Wax Fish.
Artie, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your extended family. It’s true we have so much to be thankful for and if this attitude was as prevalent as Covid, we’d be in a much better state. This morning I was treated to a family of Trumpeter swans (two adults and four cygnets) who had a brief respite in the water out back. Additionally, I was fortunate to capture their blast off (followed your advice to press the shutter button) when they decided to continue on their migration hastened by a huge flock of animated geese who decided to make the water theirs. We are truly privileged to witness and share in G-d’s bounty.
Happy Thanksgiving to you also Mr Artie… Have A Blessed Day…
Thank you kind sir.
with love, a
Happy Thanksgiving Artie! Hope to see you here in San Diego soon. The Grebes are rushing!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU. BE SAFE. GOING TO CONAWINGO DAM IN MARYLAND TO SHOOT SOME EAGLES.
Outdoors is the best place to be. with love, a
One of my favorite past times when I lived in MD. How I miss the crowds and uncertainty. Good luck and happy shooting.
Hey Artie, pleased you and Anita were able to see the White Pelicans and the Great Blue Heron nest building. I was wondering if the pelicans would still be there. Maybe tomorrow morning Dot and I will head over to LakelaND. We normally decide when we get up what to do on a particular day. You and Anita stay healthy, take care.
Thanks and ditto, Joe. Good luck. We are hoping to head to DeSoto early on Friday and do two mornings …
with love, a